Senior SoC Performance Verification Engineer

Job Title

Senior SoC Performance Verification Engineer

Role Summary

Join Microsoft Silicon within Cloud Hardware and Infrastructure Engineering to lead performance verification activities for pre-silicon SoC designs that support Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. The role focuses on defining verification strategy, implementing performance tests, correlating results to architecture, and driving improvements across architecture, design, firmware, and emulation teams.

Work site requires approximately 3 days per week in-office in Raleigh, NC; the role collaborates with architects, logic designers, post-silicon validators, and tool/IP vendors.

Experience Level

Senior — the role expects a seasoned engineer. Typical background: multi-year professional experience in SoC/CPU architecture, performance verification, and verification methodologies (see Education Requirements for formal degree-equivalence guidance).

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Own aspects of performance verification for pre-silicon SoC projects and align plans with architecture, design, firmware, and emulation.
• Understand SoC architecture and the design trade-offs that affect power and performance.
• Develop verification strategy, test plans, requirements, environments, tools, and methodologies for performance validation.
• Create tests, test generators, test benches, checkers, and coverage metrics focused on performance behaviors.
• Execute tests, analyze and correlate results with architecture, debug failures to root cause, and recommend fixes.
• Work with partners to improve architecture, design, and verification methodology to find and prevent bugs earlier.
• Mentor and coach team members and collaborate across teams to influence design and verification approaches.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and clearances:

• 3+ years of experience in computer architecture and SoC design and verification principles, including use of industry-standard HDLs such as SystemVerilog.
• 3+ years developing and using verification environments and methodologies (examples: SVTB, UVM, or formal verification).
• Practical knowledge of performance verification principles and techniques and experience implementing performance-focused verification collateral.
• Experience running and correlating tests, debugging failures to root cause, and recommending corrective actions.
• Experience with emulation and understanding constraints and implications for performance verification.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; ability to work with architects, designers, and external IP/tool providers.
• Ability to pass Microsoft Cloud Background Check and meet export control eligibility requirements (citizenship or lawful status verification required).

Nice-to-have:

• Experience focused on CPU/SoC performance verification, ARM or CPU architecture, memory controller/PHY IPs, coherent/non-coherent fabric protocols, or PCIe controller/PHY.
• Working knowledge of C/C++.

Education Requirements

Degree options stated: Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (with 1+ year technical experience); OR Master’s degree in those fields (with 4+ years technical experience); OR Bachelor’s degree in those fields (with 5+ years technical experience); OR equivalent practical experience. Fields referenced: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical fields.

About the Company

Company: Microsoft

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

Microsoft is a global technology company that develops and sells software, services, devices, and solutions. Known for its Windows operating system, Office suite, and Azure cloud platform, Microsoft aims to empower individuals and organizations around the world to achieve more. The company fosters a culture of innovation and inclusion, focusing on delivering trusted experiences to customers and partners globally.